Ruitenberg, M. & Verwey, W.
Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics. University of Twente. Enschede, The Netherlands
Research suggests that retrieval of learned information is better when the original learning context is reinstated during testing than when this context is changed. Recently, such context-dependencies have been demonstrated for sequential motor skills too. The present study explored the mechanism underlying context-dependent sequencing performance. Participants practiced two 7-key sequences by responding to sequences of visual stimuli in a particular color while ignoring a sequence of stimuli in another color. In two subsequent test blocks participants responded to either the previously ignored sequence or to an unfamiliar sequence. Results showed that responses to the previously ignored sequence were slower than to the unfamiliar sequence. During practice the participants seem to have learned to ignore locations of irrelevant (context) stimuli in order to optimize their performance on the relevant stimuli. When this formerly ignored series of locations requires responding, negative priming (inhibition) continues to affect responding and performance declines. We propose that sequential context information that is potentially interfering can be learned to be inhibited by developing a spatial inhibition strategy.